What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

There & back again. STS-123 trip report.

groucho

groucho

Well Known Member
I finally finished my trip report for our recent trip to see the Space Shuttle launch. It's pretty much a small book worth of reading. If you print it, you'll end up with over 40 pages Lucky for you, there are lots of photos. :D

In the report you'll see:
  • Pre-flight route plans
  • Photos of almost everyone & everything we saw along the way (including my 2-week old nephew)
  • GPS track maps & Google Earth GPS data files
  • Tanya's HD Video of the Shuttle launch (on page 4)
  • Links to my restaurant reviews from the trip (shameless self-promotion)
  • Lessons learned
I've divided the trip report up by days. When you get done reading one web page worth of it, click on the "Next" link at the bottom to continue the fun! For you non-high-speed internet folks, please be patient for all the photos to load.

I've been working on the thing for weeks. Somebody read it please! :cool:

sts123_launch.jpg


Here's the trip report: http://www.thedukes.org/rv/sts123.php Enjoy!
 
Incredible writeup

Don't wait for a rainy day. This writeup is fantastic. Bryan's trip report is a new benchmark for future scribes.
 
Excellent

Excellent write up. Great pictures. Thank you for sharing with us. Kinda motivates a builder to go get that plane in the hanger DONE!!!!

Thanks again
 
I'm in...

Groucho,
Thanks for going to the trouble to write and post it. I will definately read it!!! I'm always looking for inspiration up here in the cold white north - Ohio.
 
panhandler1956 said:
...here in the cold white north - Ohio.
Click to expand...
Brrr! It's a "chilly" 65deg here in southern California today. :D

Thanks for taking the time to read it everyone. It was a very fun trip. I gotta figure out a way to go on more big cross country trips!
 
Great report Bryan! Now I know what you do with your time when you can't fly for a couple of days....;)


Paul
 
Bryan are you an Aggie?

I was looking at the pictures then I went back and started reading the text. What year? I'm '86.
 
Last edited:
groucho said:
I finally finished my trip report for our recent trip to see the Space Shuttle launch. It's pretty much a small book worth of reading. If you print it, you'll end up with over 40 pages Lucky for you, there are lots of photos. :D
Click to expand...
Great report - thanks for sharing it with us. 40 pages will probably be the record unless George ever does a trip report. He could do 40 pages on a day trip for a hamburger. :)
 
Ironflight said:
Great report Bryan! Now I know what you do with your time when you can't fly for a couple of days....
Click to expand...
Thanks! Actually, I typically write stuff for my personal web page in my break time from working on my other flying page. I've been working on a huge pile of new code for it...still hidden in a secret rebel base. :cool:

TSwezey said:
Bryan are you an Aggie?...I'm '86.
Click to expand...
Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of '95! Whoop!

Kevin Horton said:
He could do 40 pages on a day trip for a hamburger.
Click to expand...
I'd love to read it if & when he does! (...and I'd love to find a burger that I could write 40 pages about!)
 
I was Air Force but didn't have the eyesight to fly. Got an Aero degree and the was sent to the Pentagon to work on computer system. Eglin was my first choice. Did my field training there. The O club on the beach was great!
 
Nice update Grouch! I think I can see that look in Tanya's eye.... Bryan.... we need one of these.... :D Better get ready.
 
Big Fire

I know you all heard about the fire at the Aggie library...burned all 12 books and three weren't even colored yet.

Mark (Go Illini)
 
And have you heard about the Aggie from the FAA who investigated a Cessna 152 crash in a cemetery? He was able to recover all 387 bodies. :p
 
Launch description

Nice description of the launch Groucho. It was a good reminder of when I saw Columbia launch in '96. The experience, like yours, was nothing short of awe inspiring. The excitement at liftoff, the slow rotation after it cleared the tower, the low rumble across the water followed by the sharp crackling and what seemed to be waves on the water being pushed by the sound waves, the cheering, the silence and collective held breath just prior to booster separation and cheering once the solid boosters separate and finally "Columbia you are go for throttle up." Truly amazing. I can only imagine what Apollo must have been like.

This pilgrimage to the Cape for a launch is well worth the effort. In addition you should take in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There is some serious history in that place. Some of it is living history, and given the ages of those telling the stories you might want to visit soon. How often do you get to hear someone recall what it was like to stand in the bunker with Von Braun prior to that first Mercury launch. It's also pretty sobering to drive by the Challenger wreckage storage area and walk on the cracked concrete and touch the plaque at the Apollo 1 pad where Grissom, White and Chaffey died.

The Cape, Houston and White Sands New Mexico are monuments to what man can do when he sets lofty goals.

Antony

Oh, and I concur with Daryl. Looks like there will be some "don't you want to be a dad" discussions coming up soon.
 
Most excellent trip report Groucho!! Also, keep up the good work on the videos! I really enjoyed "weeds". Maybe I can do some flying like that one day. (30 hour student right now, thats a little out of my league:rolleyes:)
 
SpacemanSpiff said:
And have you heard about the Aggie from the FAA who investigated a Cessna 152 crash in a cemetery? He was able to recover all 387 bodies. :p
Click to expand...
Man, it's unfortunate that so many people were in the 152.

DR...Baylor. Geez. At least it was in TX. Illini? Is that even a word!? ;)

RVAddict, keep up the flying, training & great attitude. I still learn something from every flight in any airplane. Nothing I'm doing in my -6 is cosmic at all. With proper training, planning & a safe attitude, anyone could learn it. In anything even remotely related to flying, you can get yourself killed quickly by not taking all the proper precautions - so be careful! I had 60 hours when I bought my first airplane & was happy just to find a hamburger to eat at an airport restaurant. (I'm still happy just to find a burger!) Great fun!

My formation buddy doesn't know it yet, but I have some formation aerobatics planned for this weekend. :D Probably no stories to publish, but there will be more video!
 
Great report Bryan

Bryan,
Very motivating, thanks for taking the time to make the report. I witnessed the first shuttle launch in 1981 when I was attending Nuclear power school in Orlando. Lots of memories. I did not have the VIP treatment as I spent the night in a ditch along the side of a road with 100?s of other spectators!

I also enjoyed the launch video.

Good work

-Ron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top